speak

Book 13 of my 2018 Reading Challenge

Speak: the Graphic Novel by Laurie Halse Anderson

Summary (via the book jacket)
The modern classic Speak is now a graphic novel.

"Speak up for yourself - we want to know what you have to say."
From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless -- an outcast -- because of something that happened over the summer. Now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen. So what's the point of talking? Through her work on an art project, Melinda is finally able to face what really happened that night. But before she can make peace with the ghosts of the past, she has to confront the reality of the present - and stop someone who still wishes to do her harm. Only words can save her. She can't stay silent. Not anymore. 

My Opinion
I have a dilemma.  I really want to give a trigger warning for the subject matter of this book because it is so powerfully written that it was difficult for me to breathe at times and I don't need a trigger warning so I can't imagine what it would do to someone that would.  But the nature of why she is ostracized and silent is revealed late in the book so I hate to mention it here.  So here's the deal -- if you're a reader that avoids certain subjects or looks for trigger warnings, shoot me a message and I'll let you know.  Or, now that I look closer, just read the description on Goodreads because the entire plot is laid out right there even though the book jacket summary stays vague for a reason (or avoid the description if you don't want to know). *eye roll*

I haven't read the original book but now I want to, although this graphic novel was an excellent format to absorb the reader in her experiences.  It hurt my heart that no friends or family dug deeper to help her.

A Few Quotes from the Book
"I'll be lucky to get an invitation to my own funeral, with my reputation."

"The whole point of not talking about it, of silencing the memory, is to make it go away.
  It won't."

"Cold and silence.
  There is nothing quieter than snow.
  The sky screams to deliver it, a hundred banshees flying on the edge of the blizzard.
  But once snow covers the ground, it hushes as still as my heart."